Pay for roads with cigarette tax?: Physicians ask for special legislative session

House Speaker Philip Gunn has floated a 'tax swap' to pay for more road and bridge maintenance. It would cut income taxes and raise fuel taxes by an equal amount, shifting money to road work. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said he opposes a fuel tax increase, even in a swap.
Geoff Pender

At least one physician group is using the current infrastructure debate as an opportunity to renew calls to increase the state's tobacco tax.

While Gov. Phil Bryant considers calling lawmakers back to the Capitol to pass an infrastructure plan, the Mississippi State Medical Association is asking that he also consider paying for it through a $1.50-per-pack cigarette tax increase.

Bryant has said he'd be open to calling a special session if lawmakers could agree on any long-range infrastructure funding plan. But on Monday the governor said he wasn't aware of any agreement.

Bills in the 2018 session to increase the cigarette tax died without a vote in the House or Senate, though the proposal had gained more legislative support than in past years.

MSMA President Dr. Bill Grantham said trying to attach the cigarette tax increase to the infrastructure debate is a result of seeing "which ways the political winds are blowing."

Proponents estimate the tax would generate more than $160 million, roughly a third of what transportation officials say the state needs in additional annual infrastructure maintenance spending.

"The iron is still hot, so I think we need to keep moving forward if we can," Grantham said.

Those lobbying for the tax during the session intended for the funding to go toward public health, with Senate Medicaid Committee Chair Sen. Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, proposing it to help fund Medicaid.

"Individuals who smoke one way or another ultimately end up having, many of them, a lot of their medical bills paid for by the people of Mississippi," Grantham said.

The tax increase is a public health initiative regardless of where the revenue is directed, Grantham said.

The Mississippi chapter of the American Heart Association said raising the tax has the potential to prevent 14,000 premature smoking-related deaths, prevent 22,800 children from becoming adult smokers, and help 26,500 adult smokers quit.

Regardless, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves' spokesperson said he doesn't support raising anybody's taxes. Many conservative lawmakers hold this same view and did not support a cigarette tax increase during the session.

Grantham said the cigarette tax is still at the forefront of the minds of legislators, some of whom expressed they were disappointed about the bill dying. Now is the right time, Grantham said, considering next year is an election year.

"I'd like the opportunity to have a vote on it and give it a chance," he said.